When the World Falls
by Bailation
Summary: Prophecies have been fulfilled, and the events predicted to happen in the year 2012 strike the world. Neither wizards nor muggles can control the disasters thrust upon the human race. In a hopeless world, their only chance at happiness is to survive.
1. Chapter 1

Deep within Godric's Hollow, two cozy cottages stood side by side, less than five hundred feet apart. Less than half a mile to the east, a small graveyard was present among the trees of the large forest the residents lived in. Inside the smaller of the cottages, Ron Weasley swore loudly as he tripped over a toy broomstick, which lay abandoned in the middle of the Weasleys' living room.

"RON!" His wife's voice yelled reproachfully down from the second level, scolding him for his language. Ron only rolled his eyes and grumbled darkly as he bent to pick up the broomstick and place it on the table. Hermione never used to mind his language as much, especially after the war. It didn't seem as important when they were mourning the loss of so many people. But now, since their children Rose and Hugo had made their way into their lives, Hermione was very conscientious about what her children were allowed to see and hear. This was difficult, because she had married a Weasley, and the Weasleys tended to be questionable influences at times.

Despite his wife's feelings, Ron was sure he was doing a good job in his duties as a father, and he was sure that Hermione felt the same, even if he did swear once in a while. The other day, she had caught him telling a story to Rose and Hugo before bed, a story about a witch being rescued from a horrible banshee who tortured young wizards and witches for fun, by a handsome wizard. Rose, who was much cleverer than most six-year-olds, asked after Ron had finished the story, "Daddy, what did the wizard look like?"

Ron, who had grinned at her knowingly, had answered, "Oh, I'd say he was tall and redheaded."

Rose didn't ask any more, but she smiled at the thought of the story being based off of her parents. Her father had told them to go to sleep, kissed them both, and turned around, almost walking straight into Hermione. She had smiled at him and after saying goodnight to both her children, she had led him back to their bedroom where she questioned him about his choice in stories.

"So the young wizard was tall and redheaded, was he?"

"I'd say he was, yeah." She had looked away, beaming to herself, and the conversation was over. Ron had smirked, proud of himself and the family he couldn't imagine his life without.

Today, Rose was sick with a high fever that seemed to only spike higher when Hermione tried to give her the potions that were supposed to bring it down. Hermione was sending Ron back and forth between Rose's bedroom and the kitchen to retrieve new potions, while she checked her daughter's temperature every five seconds. This was the reason Ron had tripped on Hugo's toy broomstick; he had run down the stairs to stir up another potion for Rose. Hermione was becoming more panicked by the second, and, for the first time in her life, had no idea what to do.

Ron raced back up the stairs with the newly-stirred potion, entering his daughter's room. Hermione sat at Rose's bedside, her forehead creased with worry as her eyes raked over the six-year-old's white and sweaty face. Ron kneeled down next to the bed and handed the potion to Rose. "Here you go, Rosie." As she drank and pulled a face at the nasty-tasting mixture, he stroked back her vividly red hair to feel her forehead: still burning hot.

"You need sleep," Ron told Rose. "My mum always said that's the best medicine for this kind of thing." Hermione still looked worried, but when he shot her a meaningful glance, she nodded in defeat. She leaned forward and gently kissed Rose's forehead, followed by Ron doing the same. They left the room reluctantly and shut the door quietly so as not to wake the already-dozing Rose Weasley.

Once downstairs, Hermione finally burst out, "Ron, what are we going to do? All those potions we gave her were supposed to bring her fever down immediately! What's going to happen –?"

"Hermione, you need to calm down," said Ron, grasping her shoulders firmly. "If her fever hasn't gone down in the next couple hours, we'll take her to St. Mungo's, and they'll see what's wrong with her there."

Hermione pursed her lips, still looking extremely worried. Ron leaned forward and gently kissed her lips, wrapping her up in a tight embrace. When they broke apart, he tilted her chin up so her eyes met his. "It's going to be fine. I told you when she was born that I wouldn't let anything happen to her, to any of you."

She smiled a little at the remembrance of his six-year-old promise (which he had yet to break) but it soon evaporated. She looked up at him again and said, "Her life isn't always in your control, Ron. None of ours are."

He hugged her tighter to his own body, stroking her curly brown hair. "That's not going to stop me from trying."

* * *

><p>Within an hour, Hermione had gone up to Rose's room to check on her once more. Ron, who had remained downstairs, was scared out of his wits when she came bounding back down the stairs, announcing that Rose's fever had finally broke. He laughed and hugged her, knowing that her worries and constant checkups had paid off and practically saved Rose's life.<p>

Rose slept through the rest of the day, so Ron and Hermione spent three hours controlling Hugo, who was four years old and quite a handful when he decided to fly his toy broomstick around the house. The two chased their son around the house, while still trying to keep things quiet for Rose.

Later that night, Ron and Hermione finally collapsed into bed after feeding Hugo, getting him to bed and fixing the three vases and two lamps he had broken. Hermione sighed next to Ron and laughed slightly. "This isn't going to get any easier, is it? This parenting thing."

Ron turned on his side to face her and propped his head up on his elbow, grinning faintly at her. "After watching my parents for seventeen years, I'll have to say no, it's probably only going to get harder. 'Course, I always thought my parents were mental for taking on seven kids, there was more chaos than harmony between us most of the time."

She smiled. "Yes, but if your parents hadn't had seven children, I wouldn't have you. Remind me to thank them next time we go to the Burrow." He grinned at her and gently kissed her, feeling like he was falling in love with her all over again. They slowly broke apart but made no attempt at withdrawing any further; Ron had leaned forward to touch his forehead to hers.

"You know," said Ron, his lips inches from Hermione's, "I don't think I could've picked a more brilliant, beautiful wife." She smiled and kissed him once more. "Well, I don't think I could've picked a more loving, protective husband."

He grinned as he snuggled closer to her, whispering into her hair, "I love you, Hermione."

Just as he was dozing off, he heard a soft voice vibrate under his chin, "I love you, Ron."


	2. Chapter 2

**ABNORMAL WEATHER FRIGHTENS THE EASTERN HEMISPHERE**

The headline was splashed across the front page of the Daily Prophet, catching Hermione's eye as she pushed a knut into the delivery owl's pouch. She gingerly picked up the paper and quickly read through the story. Apparently there had been odd weather happening all over Europe and Asia; strange happenings that weren't expected to happen in certain parts of the planet, like a tsunami off the coast of Greece and tornadoes in India.

She couldn't say that she wasn't worried. Usually, weather like this was caused by havoc within the wizarding community. But if the wizards couldn't even explain it, what could possibly be happening to the world?

Hermione put down the newspaper and hugged her wrap around herself tighter. Currently, Ron was gone on an Auror mission with Harry, while Hermione was left at home to worry about both of them.

She knew she needn't be concerned, she thought as she checked on Rose and Hugo sleeping upstairs. They were just a few freak storms; scarcely anything to even take cover for. But ever since the war, she had become much more paranoid and jumpy about every scary event that graced the earth. She knew both Ron and Harry felt the same, and probably most of everyone who were involved in the final battle that ended the Second War. Though the world had become cleansed of evil, this didn't mean it could return once more.

Hermione turned her head to look at the clock above the mantel: nine o' clock. Ron was due back at noon after a two-week trip. She had missed him profusely, and the sudden news of the abnormal weather had caused her to need him even more.

She looked outside and noticed the sky was acting very peculiar from the last time she had glanced outside. The sky was a sickly green mixed with swirls of black, which was much different than the usual gray, due to the fact it was November. The sun was nowhere to be found, though behind the green screen of vague clouds, there was a red spot bleeding in between the black swirls. It was like nothing she had ever seen before, and it frightened her how fast it had the sky had changed from a bright blue to greenish black.

The screen door banged open as she strolled outside to examine it closer. The air was much too still. It scared her how calm it was, as if a storm was approaching. But something in her lower abdomen told her it wasn't just a storm, it was something much bigger.

She hurried across the yard, her feet crunching leaves and dry grass. It had yet to snow, but the sky seemed to tell a different story.

Her heart was beating at a rapid rate as she banged on the door of the Potters' home. If she couldn't have Ron with her, then she wanted someone who could comfort her on almost the same level.

She knocked again on the door, fidgeting as she bounced in place due to the cold, hugging her arms around her torso. Ginny finally opened the door, a look of fret matching Hermione's as she apprehensively looked at the sky. All three of her children were at the Burrow for the week while their mother could enjoy a week alone at home.

"Hermione," said Ginny, worry etched across her face. "Have you ever seen anything like this?"

Hermione shook her head. "Rose and Hugo are sleeping. Could you come over…?"

"Yeah, of course! Just let me get a few things…" Ginny disappeared for a few moments to gather a small bag of belongings, and appeared once more to follow Hermione across the lawn to her home.

As they entered the cottage, lightning streaked across the sky, outlining the shape of the swirls of clouds. Hermione watched for a moment, then turned her back to enter the house.

The two women distracted themselves for the next hour by listening to the weather report on Ron's wireless. Even the wizarding world couldn't figure out what was causing such strange weather. They discussed tactics from dementors to returning Death Eaters, but every solution that came up with was shot down when someone figured out that that subject couldn't possibly be the cause.

Finally, the front door opened and closed, causing them both to jump. Ginny jumped up and withdrew her wand instinctively, approaching the front hall. Not a moment later, the familiar voice of Ron Weasley rang out and Hermione felt tremendous relief reverberate through her body.

"Hermione! I brought Harry home, his house was empty, do you know where Ginny – Oh, there you are, Gin."

Ron came into view with Harry and Ginny in tow. A wide grin spread across his face upon seeing her and kissed her soundly, obviously in a happy and oblivious mood. "Where are Rose and Hugo?"

"They're upstairs…Ron, listen –"

"Strange weather, innit?" said Ron, looking outside at the green and black clouds. "Never seen anything like it…especially in winter…"

"Ron!" He turned at the sound of panic and worry in his wife's voice, who was desperately trying to get his attention.

"What is it, Hermione?" His attitude had suddenly changed when he noticed the anxiety written across her face. The happy grin he had previously worn evaporated and was replaced with a look of concern and earnest.

Before she could answer, lightning struck that sky once more and a loud "_crack!" _was heard from outside. All four of them ran outside and caught sight of the tree that was ablaze a few meters away. They watched in horror as the tree next to it lit on fire through touching branches. Hermione screamed and Harry and Ron yelled as they both whipped out their wands on pure Auror instinct. They all ran back inside and nearly collided with Rose and Hugo.

Hermione rushed up to her children and embraced them as they cried in terror.

"Mum, we just saw the lightning come down and light the tree on fire –"

"It didn't even take long, it just _happened_ –"

"I know, I know!" Hermione yelled in a panic. "We have to get out of the house!" she said, to the other three adults, quickly grabbing her small enchanted beaded bag off the counter and stuffing it in her sock. "It's going to spread really fast because of all the trees!"

The others nodded and headed for the door, Ron picking up Rose as Hermione grabbed Hugo, but just as he had a hand on the door handle, a horrible shaking of the house suddenly brought all of them to their knees.

"Earthquake!" Ron yelled as Rose and Hugo screamed, and a thousand questions entered Hermione's brain. Why would there be an earthquake in Britain, and in winter, for that matter? Why were all these disasters happening at once? And who would be so cruel as to throw them all at her and her family at the same time?

Harry and Ginny were clinging to the ground closest to the door; Ginny had grabbed Rose and was holding her close to her body. Hermione, with Hugo in her arms and farthest from the door, tried to crawl toward Ron, who was extending a hand to her as the earth quivered and shook beneath her. She passed Hugo to Ron first, and then extended her own hand. Just as she was about to grab hold, Ron's eyes grew big as he saw something over her shoulder that she couldn't see.

"HERMIONE!"

Ron's voice was the last she heard as something extremely heavy collided with her body and caused her world to go black.


	3. Chapter 3

Her whole body was throbbing. She could hazily hear someone calling her name, but the voice sounded distorted due to the pounding headache in her skull. Her senses were nearly paralyzed, but her touch was still strong. The scratchiness of a worn blanket covered her, and a cushy pillow was placed under her head. She could feel cool ground beneath her and the softness of a hand stroking through her hair.

Finally, she willed herself enough strength to partially open her eyes. Her vision was foggy, but she was able to make out three figures hovering above her. Slowly, they came into focus and Hermione was face to face with three very familiar people.

"Hermione!" exclaimed Ron, his face etched with worry and anxieties, making him look older. He wrapped his arms around and hugged her tightly. Hermione gasped in pain; every part of her was aching. Ron let go at the sound of her small squeak.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" he cried, now looking too terrified to even get close to her. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," she lied, "It's fine, Ron, I'm just hurting all over right now. What happened?"

Her husband exchanged stony looks with his sister and his best friend. He turned back to her and gingerly took her hand. "Hermione, what's the last thing you remember?"

She frowned, struggling to recall what had happened before she blacked out. It actually took her a few moments before it finally came to her.

"We…we were in the house, and the lightning struck the forest on fire. Then…then an earthquake stopped us from leaving the house. I gave Hugo to you, and I was about to grab your hand when…" she trailed off and looked at Ron confusingly, her brow creased with puzzlement.

Ron looked down, his blue eyes leaving hers. "Hermione, a cabinet crushed you and knocked you out. That's why you were unconscious."

An understanding crossed her mind: That's what had been that large object. She rubbed her head and looked around at her surroundings for the first time. They were in a dark, damp room that smelled of dirt and mold. The whole room seemed to be built out of earth, and she quickly realized they were underground. Shelves stacked with muggle appliances and tools covered every wall except one, against which a long ladder was leaning, leading up to a wooden door that shut them away from the world. Three candles that dimly lit the room burned near the two sleeping figures covered in blankets she hadn't noticed before: Rose and Hugo. She sighed at the relief of seeing her children so peacefully sleeping.

"Where are we?" she asked the three adults, still unable to identify the place.

"The cellar," replied Ginny, "in the backyard of the Burrow." Her face looked as if it had aged ten years, and there were tear tracks along her cheeks. "You've probably never noticed it, it's been hidden behind the shed for a while; we've just never had to use it." She sounded frighteningly quiet, and Hermione felt a very uneasy vibe among the other two as well.

"Harry," she directed her question at him because she knew he would tell the whole truth, flat out. Harry couldn't lie to her. "What's happening?"

He had been the most silent out of all of them not a moment ago, but Harry Potter suddenly had a lot to say. "Everything's happening, Hermione. We've no idea what's going on. The weather outside…" he trailed off and shook his head. "It's unbelievable. The earthquake stopped moments after you passed out, so we were able to run for it, Ron had lifted that cabinet off you by himself." Next to her, Ron's ears turned bright red, but Hermione took no notice and continued to listen to Harry.

"We barely made it out of Godric's Hollow, Hermione; the whole forest was in flames. Our cottages, they on fire when we left, probably burned to the ground by now. Lightning was striking every tree, we were so lucky it didn't hit us. But Merlin…" he gripped his hair with both hands, and Hermione hadn't seen him like this since his scar had pained him during their years at Hogwarts. Ginny reached over and rubbed a consoling hand in circles on his back while Ron continued where he had left off.

"We Disapparated to the Burrow, because Ginny suddenly remembered the cellar. When we got here, we saw…we saw three tornadoes, Hermione, three! They were miles from the Burrow, just approaching. So we went inside the house to get –" Ron stopped short and looked uneasily at Ginny and Harry, who both looked grave. They all looked reluctant at what they needed to say, but Hermione could guess what it was.

"The house was empty."

The statement came bluntly from Harry, and Hermione jumped slightly at the harshness of his voice. She knew what was coming; James, Albus, and Lily had been at the Burrow when the disasters had struck.

"We don't know where anyone is," said Harry, his green eyes piercing Hermione's. "We haven't received any Patronuses, and no one has responded to ours. We've sent them out to everyone in the family."

He sighed and continued, taking off his glasses and rubbing a hand over his face. "We searched the house, but we couldn't find anyone. Not Molly or Arthur, or our own kids…" His voice was watery, and Hermione's heart broke for him. Harry had everything taken away from him when he was only one year old, and that pattern continued throughout his childhood and adolescence. It wasn't fair that when his life seemed to be shaping up, everything he cared about was suddenly whisked away from him again. Hermione saw how much Harry loved his three children every day; how she knew he would do anything for them. She couldn't allow him to lose three more people he loved.

Before she could think much more, she sat up far too quickly, her insides screaming in protest. It must have shown on her face, because Ron looked scandalized. He gingerly put a hand on her shoulder and opened his mouth to speak, but she put a hand in front of face to stop him and spoke to Harry and Ginny:

"We're going to find them," she said seriously. "I promise. We'll find everyone."

Ginny slowly shook her head. "You can't know that, Hermione –"

"Bloody _hell_, Ginny, yes I do!" All three heads whipped in her direction; none of them had ever heard her let out a swear worthy of a Weasley. Her whole torso ached, especially her ribs, but she tried not to show it because she knew Ron was watching her carefully.

"Listen to me: you are going to get your kids back!" she pointed to the corner where Rose and Hugo were sleeping. "It's completely unfair that we get to have our kids down here with us and you don't! We're going to find them, and you're _not_ going to just give up!"

She was breathing heavily and she suddenly felt as if she was going to pass out. Ron obviously noticed and gently pushed her back down to the ground, onto the pillow. "Hermione, you need to calm down." He shot her a look that warned her not to lose her temper any more than she already had. She only agreed because she had seen the looks on Harry's and Ginny's faces: surprise and sudden determination.

Ron's eyes found hers and she noticed the worry and concern etched into his brow. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it weakly, trying to reassure him as well. He looked around at Harry and Ginny, who were speaking quietly in the corner. He turned back to his wife and gently kissed her on her temple.

"You really think we'll find everyone, Hermione?"

She was shocked that he would ask such a hopeless question, but she was too exhausted to scold him. He had endured so much during the war, that she knew he became quite hopeless during dark times.

"They couldn't all just disappear," she told him. "We're bound to find somebody…" she looked over at her children and pursed her lips. She suddenly had the urge to be near them.

Before Ron could stop her, she began to crawl closer to Rose and Hugo, ignoring her pains and not pausing until she was looking down upon her children. She began to sob at the sight of her daughter and son safely next to her. She kissed each of their faces: Rose continued to sleep on, and Hugo only stirred slightly before rolling over and falling into a dream state once again. Hermione was so thankful to have her own children near her, but it made her terrified to think of all the people they were missing.

A familiar freckled hand gently grabbed her shoulder and turned her into an embrace. She accepted the arms that wrapped around her body and sobbed into their owner's chest.

"Why is this happening to us?" she asked Ron after a few moments. He gripped her tighter hesitantly, still afraid to hurt her. But she couldn't hurt anymore; it was Harry and Ginny's turn for that.

Ron shook his head, looking lost for any kind of words. He simply held her, unable to say anything comforting. Hermione knew that when Ron had nothing to say, the world had turned truly hopeless.

Moments passed, feeling like hours to her. Ron asked her if she needed anything, and showed her the food, blankets, and other necessary supplies they had stashed down in the cellar years ago, in case any emergency ever came up. She refused his offers, thinking that Rose and Hugo probably would be hungry once they woke up. Her appetite had left her the moment she had woken up anyway. Nevertheless, he gave her a few potions for her bodily pains and told her she needed to rest.

"What happens now?" she asked Ron. He shrugged, looking utterly lost.

"Dunno. The wind was raging while you were unconscious; we could barely hold the door down. But it stopped about an hour before you woke up, it was really bizarre. We think it may be safe to leave, but we don't want to take any chances. We're going to spend the night in here."

Hermione nodded, agreeing with their decision. Whatever was happening to the world was obviously leaving chaos in every corner. She didn't want to see what has become of the outside world, especially the Burrow. She already had lost her home and she couldn't see anymore destruction.

She checked her watch. It was nearly two thirty in the morning. She decided lay down again and attempt to go to sleep.

Later that night, while Harry and Ginny were sleeping in the corner, Ron and Hermione lay on the ground with their children sleeping in between them. Ron was already asleep, snoring away as if nothing was wrong in their lives. His wife swore that he could sleep through anything, no matter what was on his mind while he was awake. She, however, could never sleep when she had so many worries bouncing around in her brain.

Normally, she would read a few books until she felt tired. But Ron had informed her that there probably wasn't a huge chance that her books survived the huge forest fire. Her heart broke at the thought of her home library in flames, along with every other possession in her home.

She stifled a sob, thinking about all the events that had taken place in their cottage. Ron and Harry had built the two cottages with the help of the rest of the Weasleys seven years ago; a year after the war had ended. Hermione and Ginny had charmed the insides to look to their liking, arranging all the rooms in unique styles. When the cottages were completed, the foursome had moved out of their flats in Diagon Alley and into Godric's Hollow.

Hermione rubbed her temple, a newborn headache suddenly blooming in the front of her forehead. She had made more memories in that cottage than anywhere else. She remembered that Ron had proposed to her in their bedroom, unplanned of course. It had started out as a row, and his "Marry me!" sort of just slipped out.

She recalled the time Rose had broken her arm when she fell down the stairs. She remembered that she was in the kitchen when her water broke when she was pregnant with Hugo. Ron had been away on a mission with Harry, so she had to waddle next door to get Ginny. Ron had rushed home and met Hermione, Rose, and Ginny at the hospital, where he just made it to witness his son's birth.

More than the cottage, Hermione worried about the rest of the family. It killed her to imagine the worst, but she couldn't help it. Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw Molly's body, or George's, or even little Lily's, their eyes open and unseeing. She couldn't take much more death in her life; she and her friends had gone through enough of it during the war.

Hermione turned over, facing her sleeping daughter. She smiled slightly and stroked the girl's soft red curls away from her face. She kissed her forehead and held her closer in her arms. A shaky sigh escaped her lips, worries etching their way through her mind.

Hermione reached over to wrap an arm around her family, grabbing Ron's hand on the end and squeezing it. He didn't wake, but she was sure that he had squeezed her hand back. For the first time that night, she allowed a slight smile to cross her face.


	4. Chapter 4

Ron woke earlier than usual the next day. The feel of Hermione's hand clinging tightly to his was the first thing he noticed before he even opened his eyes. He gently pulled it closer to his face and kissed it before letting go. He felt a smaller body next to his and smiled as he caught sight of his children sandwiched in between him and his wife. He kissed each of their foreheads and stood up, stretching his limbs as he looked around the small cellar. Harry and Ginny were asleep in the corner, clinging to each other in their sleep.

Ron carefully tiptoed around his family as he approached the trapdoor that led to the outside world. He placed his fingertips on the wood, carefully listening for any violent or irregular weather. When he heard nothing, he decided to open the door and explore the damage outside.

The door creaked as it opened, and a destroyed world was revealed to Ron.

Trees had been ripped from their roots; even grass lay about as if an invisible force had decided to tear it from the ground. Planks of wood and piles of rubble were spread everywhere and Ron noticed for the first time that they were the remains of the Burrow.

He staggered toward what was left of his childhood home and felt tears begin to sting his eyes. As he shuffled through the debris, he caught sight of many familiar fragments of things, such as his mother's magical clock, of which four of the hands had snapped off. He picked up a framed photograph of his family in Egypt when he was thirteen, the glass cracked and part of the picture ripped.

Ron dropped the picture, his hands shaking uncontrollably as he brought them up to his face, rubbing his temples. He sank to his knees and he wiped away the tears that had begun to fall impatiently. He thought he was alone until he jumped suddenly and withdrew his wand when he felt a small hand gently touch his shoulder. He whipped around to find Hermione standing over him, wincing as the end of his wand was aimed in her face.

He lowered his wand at the sight of her broken expression. "You should be sleeping; you're not strong enough to be walking around."

She shot him an exasperated look. "Ginny gave me a few more potions for the pain. I'm feeling better, Ron, really." She sank to her knees behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her cheek against the top of his head.

"This is mad, Hermione." She said nothing, but kissed his cheek, resting her head on his shoulder. She held him tighter and he gripped her hands, which were clutching his chest.

"Dad, Mum!"

The sound of their daughter's voice startled them out of their own thoughts and they turned to see Rose climbing out of the cellar. At the sight of the wreckage of the Burrow, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open.

"Rose, go back in the cellar!" he noticed Hermione's voice was panicky, and he knew she didn't want their daughter to see how destroyed the outside world was. Before she could make another step, he had whisked his daughter off her feet and rushed her back underground, Hermione at his heels.

"Daddy, what happened? Why is the Burrow in pieces?" A thousand questions flew from Rose's mouth as her father set her down on the gravel ground next to her brother, who was still sleeping. Ron turned to Hermione, who looked utterly distressed on what to tell her daughter. Gritting his teeth, he turned back to his child.

"Rosie, I need you to forget what you saw. Can you do that?"

"But Daddy -"

"Rose," her father's tone carried a warning, as well as slight panic. "Please, do as I say. Just…think of it as a dream. It was only a dream, alright?"

His daughter's brown eyes, which were so like her mother's, searched his, and she seemed to read the seriousness of the situation. "Alright."

He gave her a small smile, attempting to make it seem like everything was fine. "Okay, love. Go back to sleep, alright? It's too early for you to be up." Rose lay back down next to her brother without an argument as Ron wrapped her blanket back around her. He ran a hand through her curly red hair and gently kissed her forehead, smiling at his little girl.

A gentle hand suddenly wrapped itself around his arm, pulling him to his feet. Hermione led him to the shelves where jars of food were stacked, and they passed Harry and Ginny, who were still asleep in the corner. Ron suddenly remembered their missing children, and dread filled his whole being at the thought of what had happened to his extended family.

Hermione brought him back to reality when she was standing in front of him with a disapproving frown on her face. "That wasn't the best way to explain things to our daughter, Ron."

"Well, what did you want me to say?" he felt offended, and he began to remove jars from the shelves for breakfast to distract himself.

"You could've told her the truth," said Hermione, taking the food from him and tilting his chin so his eyes were forced to meet hers.

"Hermione, how would I tell her that? You think it would be easy just to tell her that her world's been completely destroyed –"

"Shhh!" she silenced him as she looked over her shoulder apprehensively at her children, then at Harry and Ginny, who were still peacefully sleeping. She faced her husband once more and sighed. "Its just…there's going to come a point where she – both of them – are going to have to see what's happened – we all are – and it's going to scar them for life, Ron –"

She drew in a rather large breath and a small tear escaped her eye. Ron sighed and enveloped his arms around her, the jars still in her arms.

"Not if I can help it," he whispered in her hair. He hugged her closer to his body and wished for a better life for his family.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was uneventful, when it came to the weather. Harry and Ginny woke around ten, and the six of them ate dry food from two of the jars, careful to save as many of them as possible for the future.<p>

When Harry saw that the sky looked clear outside, he turned to the other adults and announced that they needed to move on and start to search for the rest of the family.

"But this is where it's safe!" Hermione had reasoned. "What if we run into another weird disaster?"

"We probably will," said Harry honestly. "But we're going to have to take that risk. Hermione, these are our kids, we have to find them –"

"Alright!" she had hastily agreed after the point Harry had brought up and turned to collect as much food as she could from the shelves.

"What are you going to do with those?" asked Ron, who now watched her as she filled her arms with the jars. She met his eyes and raised an eyebrow as she shoved them into his arms. She leaned down and removed her left shoe, revealing a large bulge in her sock. Ron's eyes widened.

"No way –"

She tugged the enchanted beaded bag that she had owned for so long out of her sock and began filling it with the jars. Her husband stared at her in awe. "You are a _genius_!"

Hermione blushed in response. "I thought you saw me grab it off the counter –"

"No, I was a bit preoccupied at the moment. I forgot how brilliant you could be in a crisis."

She smiled as they emptied the shelves into her bag. Harry and Ginny began to help, and Rose and Hugo quietly watched the four adults in the corner.

When they were packed and ready to go, Ron approached his daughter and noticed the goose flesh rising from her skin. He removed his jacket and wrapped it around his little girl.

"Rosie, I need you to listen to me," he told her. "We're going to go outside, and I need you to keep your eyes closed. Whatever you do, don't open them, alright?"

She looked up at him with huge brown eyes and nodded. He swept her up in his arms and pressed her head to his shoulder, shielding her to the world. Next to him, Harry was lifting Hugo in his arms.

"Don't let him see anything," Ron told him, and Harry nodded, telling his nephew to close his eyes.

Outside, it was sundown. The sky looked normal, a beautiful mix of red and orange surrounding the sinking sun. However, Ron had a feeling that this was only a temporary state. He held his daughter closer to him and pressed a hand to Hermione's back as he led them across the wreckage.

Once on the outside of the Burrow's property, Ginny grabbed her brother's arm. "Ron, where are we even going?"

He hesitated, thinking of the first place their family would be. There were so many possibilities: Shell Cottage, Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, Andromeda's house, Diagon Alley, Hogwarts…

"We could go to separate places," suggested Hermione, her brow furrowed. "Two of us for each place –"

"No," Harry refused. "We can't split up, that's just asking for trouble. Let's just Disapparate to the same place separately. We have to stick together, Hermione, we can't take any risks."

The rest of the adults agreed and they decided to split into two groups to Disapparate to Shell Cottage first. Ron and Hermione grasped hands, Rose still in her father's arms while Hugo went with Harry and Ginny.

The first thing Ron noticed after the forceful feeling of Disapparation left him, was the smell of the sea, and he knew they had arrived safely. He looked up at the house on the cliff and felt a great wave of relief wash over him when he saw that it was still standing, looking strangely peaceful.

A large crack sounded from next to him, and he looked around to see Harry and Ginny appear out of thin air with his son. Hermione approached them and took Hugo from Harry's arms. The child looked paler than usual, and it suddenly hit Ron: This was the first time his children had Apparated.

He immediately noticed that Rose was whimpering into his shoulder, her eyes still closed tight. He placed her on her feet on the ground, stroking her hair away from her face. "Rosie, you can open your eyes now."

She cracked her brown irises open and looked up at him. His eyes raked over her small body for signs of Splinching. She looked alright physically; she just seemed to be quite shaken.

"Rosie, are you feeling alright? You don't feel like you may be sick, do you?"

Rose shook her head, but she trembled, her red curls quivering against her pale, freckled face. Her father hugged her tightly, wishing he had thought more thoroughly about their traveling arrangements before acting so rashly. He looked over her shoulder at Hermione, who was rubbing Hugo's back consolingly. She met his eyes and he knew that she regretted their actions as well.

Harry led them up to the small house on the cliff, banging on the door, and bouncing in place as he waited impatiently for someone to answer. After a few moments, the door opened and Fleur's beautiful face came into view. Ron almost fainted in relief; she looked unharmed and completely ignorant to the reason why her relatives were suddenly showing up on her doorstep.

"Fleur!" Ginny fell into her arms, causing the French woman to look at Harry in complete bewilderment. He only ignored this and said, "We'll explain. But for right now, we need a place to stay. We have nowhere to go."

"Of course!" Fleur led them into the small cottage, which looked remarkably normal compared to the horrors Ron had seen in the last twenty-four hours. Bill was playing wizard chess on the floor of the sitting room with his son, Louie. Victoire and Dominique sat on the couch, reading numerous copies of _Witch Weekly_, and Teddy Lupin, who was now fourteen years of age, sat on the floor with his back against Victoire's legs, watching the chess game with great interest. However, when the newcomers entered, the inhabitants of Shell Cottage all seemed to look up at the same time with the same expression on their faces: Curiosity mixed with fear.

"Ted!" Harry approached his godson and embraced him tightly. "You're safe, thank Merlin –"

"Harry, what are you talking about?" The teen looked from Harry to Ginny, then to Ron and Hermione. His expression dropped to fear and panic as he read each of their faces. "What happened?"

"Teddy, where's Andromeda?"

Teddy looked stunned, his hair fading from turquoise to a darker color Ron couldn't quite make out yet. "She's at home – I just came here today to see Vic – Can you please tell us what's happened?"

Ron watched as Harry looked around at the people in the room staring at him. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak. "There's been an epidemic. The rest of the family is missing."


	5. Chapter 5

The Weasleys' reactions had been delayed.

Hermione clutched Hugo against her hip as she watched Harry carefully. He looked extremely shaken as he exchanged grave looks with Ginny. Hermione looked around the room and saw every eye on Harry and every expression completely frozen.

It was Bill who spoke first.

"Harry," he said with a deadly tone, "What are you talking about?"

Harry released a heavy breath. "Something's happening to the planet. We haven't a clue…but…" he trailed off and allowed his head to fall into his hand. Ginny squeezed his arm gently and faced the rest of the family.

"Lightning struck in Godric's Hollow and caused the whole forest to catch fire. Then an earthquake struck when we were trying to leave the house. We Apparated to the Burrow because Molly and Arthur were supposed to have our kids this weekend…but…the whole house was empty."

Tears were now making their way down Ginny's face, and she wiped them away impatiently as she continued. "Then…we saw three tornadoes. Three heading right toward the Burrow. We've had to take cover in the cellar for the last day in case anything else came along –"

She broke off as she choked on her tears and Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her gently.

Hermione met Ron's eyes, which showed how frightened he was. He faced the family and addressed the room.

"We know it sounds mad, and impossible, given our region of the world and the time of year. But why would make this up?"

The room was silent, everyone appearing too stunned to contradict Ron. After a few moments, he spoke again. "We don't even know if we're even safe here. These disasters could be heading straight toward us."

Hermione's eyes gravitated toward Teddy, who looked absolutely terrified. His hair had changed from turquoise to black in less than ten seconds, and his face had drained of color, quite like the rest of the family.

The room was silent for a few more moments until Bill stood from the couch, a somber expression on his scarred face. "Well…we have to move then. We can't stay here if there's a risk, and we have to find the rest of the family."

"Are you mad?"

Every head in the room turned toward Teddy, who was glaring at Bill, his eyes a deep black to match his hair. "What if we're safe here? What if we move and we hit another catastrophe, wherever we are? And for that matter, where would we even go?"

Hermione pondered this, and decided Teddy had a point. From the look on Ron's face, she could tell he agreed.

Fleur, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, stood and spoke softly to Bill, sounding like she had a bad head cold.

"Bill," she whispered as she gently laid a hand on his rigid arm. "Maybe Teddy ees right. We could run into something much worse –"

"Well, we're going to have to take that risk," Ginny spoke up, her expression hard and stony. "I'm not going to sit around while my kids could be getting farther from us –"

"Ginny," said Hermione softly, tightening her grip on her son, "Where would we even start? Your parents and your kids could be anywhere; they could be hiding out just like us…"

"Then what d'you expect us to do, Hermione?" Ginny snapped, her face slowly turning the color of her hair. "Just assume they're safe and alive, and that they'll come home eventually?"

For once, Hermione couldn't think of an argument. She pressed her lips together and decided it was best not to talk when Ginny was in such a fragile state.

The room fell silent once more. Worries and sorrows for Harry and Ginny were swimming through Hermione's head as she knelt down to place her son at her feet, still gripping his hand.

The silence had become unbearable when Ron finally spoke.

"What if – what if we split up?"

Every head in the room turned in Ron's direction, whose eyes were darting back and forth to each face in the room. "I know it sounds mad, but I think we could find the family faster, and we could use our Patronuses to message each other."

The room was quiet as Hermione studied Ron's face. He looked extremely nervous as he anticipated the reaction, his blue eyes meeting hers. She pursed her lips as she reached for his hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"I think that's fair enough," said Bill, crossing his arms as he deeply furrowed his brow. "Ron has a point, we have means of contact. And if we continue to just argue about what we're going to do, we'll never find anyone."

"So what are we doing?" Ginny burst out. "Our kids could be getting farther by the minute –"

"Alright, calm down Gin," said Bill. "We need to decide who is staying and who is going."

"I'll stay at the cottage," said Harry. Hermione raised her eyebrows as she met his friend's gaze. His face looked extremely distraught, but determined. Ginny looked up at her husband and rested her hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure, Harry?"

He looked at her and nodded silently. "You should go and find them, Gin. Bring them home, alright? I'll be on watch here."

Ginny's brown eyes became slightly misty as she squeezed her husband's hand. She looked up and glared around the room, daring anyone to contradict Harry's decision. However, it seemed everyone was too stunned with his very un-Harry choice to say anything.

"I'll go!" Teddy piped up, his hair turning a vibrant red with excitement.

"No," said Harry bluntly. "There's no way I'm allowing you to go. No one underage should be allowed to go." He looked around at the adults. "Does anyone oppose?"

No one spoke up, and a few shook their heads with agreement to Harry's statement. He turned back to Teddy. "Sorry, Ted."

The young teen slumped onto the couch, his hair now turning black once more.

"I should go," said Bill. "The more Ministry workers, the better."

"Me too," volunteered Hermione, stepping forward.

"No!" exclaimed Ron. She raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to contradict her. However, he pressed a hand to her shoulder and led her into the kitchen. The moment the door closed, he spoke.

"There's no way I'm letting you go and risk your life," said Ron, his eyes intense and focused on hers. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, Ron," she scoffed. "Don't you think the overprotection has gotten a bit old?"

Ron's expression grew darker and more severe. "I'm serious, Hermione. I can't tell you how much I worried about you when we were forced into battle in the past. Plus, one of us needs to stay with Rose and Hugo."

"I don't understand what the problem is –"

"The problem is that I can't lose you!" yelled Ron.

Hermione glared up at him. She was well aware that he was only looking out for her well-being, just as he had always done. Though she loved how protective Ron was over his family, she felt it sometimes got to be too much.

Ron wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "Rose and Hugo need their mother. They can do without their father, if something were to happen –"

"Don't you dare say that, Ron." She glared up at him with wide eyes and stepped back from his embrace, scandalized that he would even suggest the possibility of his own death. "You're not convincing me in the slightest at this point."

"When am I ever able to convince you?"

Hermione glared daggers at him, while he only smirked and shrugged. "You're not even an Auror, Hermione."

She sat down at the kitchen table and sighed exasperatedly. "I think I've proven myself well beyond the standards of an Auror, Ron."

He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at the floor. "I don't know what to say at this point. All I know is that I'm not allowing you to go and track down my family while the world is falling apart."

Ron opened the door to the kitchen and rejoined the rest of the Weasleys in the family room.

Hermione sat at the table with her head in her hands. She finally realized that the longer she spent arguing with Ron, the farther the missing Weasleys and Potters could be moving from their reach.

She finally made her decision and reunited with the rest in the family room. Every head in the room turned to look at her, but she only had eyes for Ron, who stood in the corner with their two young children.

"I'll stay," she said to him, while his face lit up with happiness. "For Rose and Hugo. Ron, just _please_ be careful. I don't like it when you say things that suggest that you may die –"

"Hermione, you _know_ that as an Auror, it's always a risk –"

"I know, and I've been worrying about you since the day you left for your first mission." She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. He met her gaze and his expression immediately filled with sorrow.

"Hey, it'll be fine," he said, taking her face in his hands. "I promise you, I'm going to come back safe and alive. Alright?"

Hermione nodded, fully aware that there was a fifty percent chance that he couldn't keep that promise. And by the look on Ron's face, she knew he was conscious of the fact as well.

The two turned back to their family, who appeared to have been talking to each other in deep discussion, though Hermione knew they had been watching her and Ron carefully.

"We've decided I'm going and Hermione'll stay behind," announced Ron, looking around at the Weasleys. "Who else is going?"

"Looks like me, Ginny and you," said Bill. "Harry, Fleur, and Hermione are staying with the kids."

"Are you sure you want to stay, Harry?" Hermione asked, turning to her friend. "It's unlike you –"

"Yeah, I'm sure," said Harry shortly. The room of people stared at him for a moment longer before Bill said loudly, "Well, we best be off! Ron, Hermione, I sent a Patronus to the rest of the family: George, Percy, Charlie and their families to see if they've experienced any of this weather, but I haven't heard back yet."

Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny exchanged dark looks. Most of the time, their family responded right away to Patronuses. It was unlike them to be unresponsive to an urgent message. It made Hermione feel extremely uneasy.

She suddenly noticed that Bill had packed a small rucksack while she and Ron had been in the kitchen, and Ginny had a bag she had grabbed from her home before leaving. Ron, in the midst of his panic, had taken nothing.

Hermione realized this and turned to her husband, fishing her small beaded bag out of her pocket and into his hands. He looked down in awe at it, and then back at her.

"Take it," she said, looking up at him meaningfully. "It has everything you'll need if something happens. Any potions, remedies, extra clothes –"

"How did you do this when we had to leave the house in such short notice?" he asked as he stared down at her with a mixed expression of wonder and admiration.

"I've had that bag prepared with all the necessities since the war ended. I've been updating it every few months, just in case something was to happen. After the war, I decided we had to be prepared for anything –"

She yelped as Ron abruptly kissed her midsentence. He broke apart almost just as quickly to meet her eyes, his hands still holding her face.

"You're a genius," he said, his expression still shocked. "I swear to Merlin, I've never met anyone as brilliant as you, Hermione. The way you can react in a moment of panic still amazes me after twenty-one years."

She could feel her face burn, and she knew she must look bright red. "It's not much; I'm just trying to look out for us –"

"– And you never fail," grinned Ron. He held the bag up in front of her face. "This is going to be my life support, thanks to you."

Hermione smiled, her face still burning. "Don't over exaggerate, Ron –"

"Are you two lovebugs nearly done?" asked Bill from across the room. "We need to get going…"

"Where are you all going to go?" asked Harry.

"Probably Grimmauld Place. Just in case the family decided to take cover there, though I think they would've sent a Patronus…"

"Let's just go for it," said Ginny, as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "We have no other leads, so we may as well start there."

Ron turned back to Hermione, meeting her eyes. He pulled her into his arms, and hugged her tightly. This was the one place she had always felt absolutely safe. When she was in Ron's arms, she knew nothing could happen to her.

She felt him gently kiss her forehead, and she turned her face upward and allowed Ron's lips to meet her own. She felt his intensity and his love for her though his body against hers. It frightened her to death to know he may not come back…

They broke apart and Ron kneeled down to embrace their children. Hermione smiled as he spoke to Rose and Hugo in a calm voice. Though the world was falling apart around them, Ron still could keep his head and make it seem like everything was alright for the sake of his children, something she had yet to master.

He rose and faced her once more, his eyes looking deep into hers. "Look after them, alright? I'll be back, I promise. I always come back, remember?"

He grinned slightly and she returned in with a feeble smile. "Just be careful, alright? Swear to me you'll be careful."

"I swear," he said solemnly, his blue eyes the most serious she had even seen them.

"Ron, let's go!" called Bill from the front door.

Hermione lifted Hugo off of the floor and clutched him tightly to her hip. Ron turned back to her and kissed her once more, quickly, but meaningfully. He kissed Hugo's forehead, and bent to kiss Rose on the head. After one last look and a wave, he turned his back on them and joined his brother and sister.

"We'll send a Patronus as soon as we can," announced Bill as he kissed Fleur goodbye and hugged his children. "If you could send a Patronus to the rest of the family again, that may help us figure out if anyone else is missing…or if Mum and Dad and the children are with George or Percy or something. I have a feeling that's not the case though."

Bill, Ginny, and Ron turned to leave as they said their last goodbyes. Ron, however, turned back and waved to Hermione, who sadly waved back with Hugo still in her arms.

The door closed behind them as they Disapparated outside the house, and Hermione was alone with only Fleur, Harry and the children as company.


	6. Chapter 6

"'Ermione, look, it's snowing."

Hermione looked out the window and watched as the small, white flakes began to fall faster from the sky. She released a shaky breath and wrung her hands together as she sat on the couch. Fleur stood at the sink, washing the remaining dishes from lunch.

"I don't want to know about the weather, Fleur," said Hermione, turning her head to look at Harry, who sat in the corner of the living room with a bottle of butterbeer, talking quietly with Teddy.

She really did feel sorry for Harry, like she always had. He had done nothing to deserve the bad luck that always seemed to meet his path. He was a loving father and husband; why did that seem to attract trouble?

Hermione sighed as she glanced at the open door to Louie's bedroom, where she could see her children playing with Dominique and Louie. She was extremely thankful that she had Rose and Hugo, but she felt horrible for Harry and Ginny. She wasn't sure if she would be strong enough to even find her children if she were in their place.

Hermione stood and approached Harry and Teddy. They looked up at her as she took a seat in the armchair between them.

"Harry, I want to talk to you –"

Victoire suddenly appeared next to Teddy, whose hair turned from black to a brilliant violet in a matter of milliseconds. "Teddy, do you want to take a walk outside with me?"

Teddy grinned widely and took Victoire's hand, leading them to the back door, which led to the seashore at the bottom of the hill.

"Don't wander far!" called Fleur from the kitchen. "Victoire, come back if the weather starts to act up –"

"We know, Mum." The door slammed as the two young teens left the cottage.

Hermione turned back to Harry, who looked slightly concerned. "Is something going on with them?"

Harry smirked and shrugged. "Something's been happening between those two since they were born."

She smiled faintly at the thought of Teddy and Victoire together. It certainly wouldn't be a surprise. Teddy was two years older than her, but they had been best friends since she was born.

"Harry, I need to talk to you."

"Alright, go ahead."

She exhaled slowly and met his vibrant green eyes. "Why did you stay behind? I mean…it's so unlike you. Especially when you allowed Ginny to go without you…"

Harry stared at her, and Hermione suddenly found it difficult to read his expression. He didn't look annoyed, but his eyes had become darker and more intense.

"Well…I reckon it's her turn. I know I'm an Auror, and it's expected for me to go, but I thought of the possibility of the family coming to Shell Cottage. I have a strange feeling that that might happen –"

Without thinking, Hermione blurted out, "It's not your scar, is it?" She quickly realized how stupid that sounded now that Voldemort was dead and as Harry chuckled softly.

"No, Hermione. My scar hasn't hurt for fourteen years. It's just a feeling."

She felt the heat rise through her face as she looked down at her hands. "But…aren't you worried about Ginny?"

Harry nodded slightly. "I was. But then I realized her brothers are with her. If there's anyone who I know can protect Ginny the way I do, perhaps even better, it's her own family. Plus, I didn't want to get into a huge argument."

Hermione sighed. "I wish Ron was more like that. I would've easily joined them if he wasn't so stubborn."

Harry chuckled quietly. "Ron and I both love our wives; we just show it differently. Ron has an extremely hard time dealing with the thought of losing you. He hates it to the point that he can't even take a risk. He can't deal with letting go."

"What about you? Why were you so willing to let Ginny go?"

"Well, I know she can take care of herself. I trust that she doesn't need me to jump in front of her for every spell that's shot at her. I would love to be able to do that, but…that's not always possible."

Hermione looked up and met her friend's eyes. "You don't think Ron trusts me to take care of myself?"

Harry gave a dismissal shrug. "I think deep down, he knows you could perhaps be a better Auror than him, given your brilliant logic and problem solving. But at the front of his mind, I think he trusts himself to take care of you rather than yourself. I think that's the way he can make sure you'll always be safe."

Hermione looked down at her hands in her lap and was silent.

"Hey," Harry leaned forward and grabbed her hands. "It's not a bad thing. Ron is just a ridiculously overprotective person. He's always been that way."

"I know that. And I love that about him…but he needs to just give me some space and let me take some risks, you know?"

"I know, Hermione."

Rose and Dominique suddenly entered the room. Hermione noticed that Rose was holding a doll that looked exactly Harry.

"Hi, love," said Hermione, kissing her daughter softly on the forehead. "Where did you get that?"

"It's mine," said Dominique, as she collapsed onto the couch. "I got it from Uncle George when I was four. He seemed to think it was funny."

Harry smiled, looking amused. "I'm not even aware of half the merchandise that's sold with my face on it."

Fleur entered the room, a small wireless in one hand and her wand in the other. She sat down on the couch next to her daughter, now tapping the wireless with her wand.

"Have you heard anything?" asked Harry.

"No…" said Fleur, as she continued to play with the wireless. "I haven't been able to find a channel yet. We leeve too far from ceevilization."

The buzzing on the wireless suddenly became clear as Fleur tapped it for a last time. An unfamiliar voice came out of the wireless and filled the room.

"…_more than seventy deaths have been reported after the unexpectedly flash flood that struck Diagon Alley –"_

"_What?_" Harry burst out, jumping to his feet. Fleur and Hermione shushed him as they struggled to listen to the small voice.

" – _the bodies found have yet to be identified, but the Aurors on the case have shared with us that they think most of the residents in the area are either dead or severely injured."_

The station cut out again, and Fleur cursed in French under her breath as she began to tap the wireless again. Harry and Hermione shared a frightened glance, and she knew he was thinking the same thing: George and his family lived in Diagon Alley, directly above the joke shop.

The door suddenly banged open and Teddy and Victoire came running inside, terror painted across their faces.

"Ted, what is it?" asked Harry, watching as his godson and niece rushed into Victoire's bedroom. The three adults followed them and watched as Teddy grabbed his rucksack, and Victoire collected her Pygmy Puff, Holly, and quickly stuffed a few belongings into a bag.

"We have to get out of here," said Teddy abruptly to Harry, his hair a vibrant, flaming red.

"What's happening?"

"Look outside."

Hermione rushed to the kitchen window, where the usual calm sea was looking extremely restless. It was no longer snowing, and in the distance, a huge wave about sixty feet tall was gathering, and heading straight for the small cottage on the hill.


End file.
